Installing Newest Allen Bradley Rockwell Licenses – License Server (Temporary or yearly renewals)

Each year new license need to purchased and added to the license server for Rockwell.  This article assumes that you have already received the license keys and are ready to inject them into the license server.  Kristian Nelson has control of the Rockwell portal but his login information is available in Keypass.

Overview

Each year new a license needs to be purchased and added to the license server for Rockwell.  This article assumes that you have already received the license keys and are ready to inject them into the license server.  Kristian Nelson has control of the Rockwell portal but his login information is available in Keypass.  For the 2020/2021 season the Factory Talk Activation Manager needed to be upgraded on the (License Server, Lab computer) from 4.00.01 to 4.03.11.

Instructions

NOTE: Kristian Nelson / Corey Meunier are responsible for getting the quote for the new keys each year.

NOTE: ITS is responsibile for getting temporary licenses need to support older Rockwell versions.

On you PC open the license tracking spreadsheet.  Please update with any changes.  "\\mvmitdat01p\SCITSoftwareRepository\EndUserApplications\~ Apps Anywhere Software\Rockwell\Rockwell Licensing.xlsx"

Getting new licenses

Order

Once the purchase requisite is submitted and received Kristian Nelson can access these keys via the Rockwell website, we have access to this login which is available in Keypass or through the email the vendor sends to Kristian.  Reach out to him if you needed it.

Temporary Licenses

Currently 2020/2021, we are running an older version of Rockwell that isn't natively supported on the license server and legacy licenses are needed to be downloaded to get the software working.  These instructions give you the tools you will need to completed this task.

• Goto https://commerce.rockwellautomation.com/
• Login with Kristian's credentials (can be found in Keypass,or contact Kristian Nelson)
• Click Temporary activation at the top
• Search using Product Look up using the Catalog Number numbers.  The below Numbers are what was used in the past, but if you need help getting a Catalog number you will need to contact Rockwell support.

We only need to upgrade 5 of the products on a monthly bases.  So when performing the monthly temp upgrade just download these catalogue items.  We own 22 licenses.  The Temporary Licenses can only be downloaded 10 at a time so I've only been downloading 20 licenses in total as there isn't enough students to use up the 22 we own.

Catalog Number	Description
9701-VWSB000AENE	FT View Station SE unlimited ESD S/W
9357-CNETL3	RSNetWorx For ControlNet ESD Software
9357-DNETL3	RSNetWorx For DeviceNet ESD Software
9357-ENETL3	RSNetWorx For EtherNet ESD Software
9355-WABSNENE	RSLinx Classic Single Node ESD S/W

The below table list ALL the Catalog numbers we would need if we have to add any additional licenses.

Catalog Number	Description
9324-RL5700NXENE	RSLogix 5 Professional Edn ESD Software
9355-WABSNENE	RSLinx Classic Single Node ESD S/W
9324-RL0700NXENE	RSLogix 500 Professional Edn ESD S/W
9701-VWSB000AENE	FT View Station SE unlimited ESD S/W
9701-VWSTENE	FT View Studio SE FT View Ent EN ESD S/W
9357-CNETL3	RSNetWorx For ControlNet ESD Software
9357-DNETL3	RSNetWorx For DeviceNet ESD Software
9357-ENETL3	RSNetWorx For EtherNet ESD Software

• You can enter all the Catalog numbers at one time
• Enter 10 under Quantity (and repeat these instructions as needed) 

• Click ADD to Cart (the below is example is for one catalog item but it is the same for many items)

• Make sure the cost is Zero ($0.00)
• Click CHECKOUT
• I like to keep the 2 license available,at this point, for a few reasons.  Later on in this document you may have to downgrade 1 of these licenses so it will work on the ElecticalGateway (Computer).  This computer is an XP computer and requires an older version of the license (HOSTDISK_SERIAL_NUM... version not the CodeMeter version)

• Check both check boxes
• Click SUBMIT
• Your License certificate will now be emailed to kristian.nelson@saultcollege.ca.  You'll need to contact him to have him forward the license Certificate to you.

• Click BACK TO HOME
• Repeat the above instructions for more temporary licenses.
• Reach out to Kristian to have him forward you the licenses he received in email so you will have access to the License Certificates with the (Serial Number and Product Keys) - Update the Spreadsheet that you've already opened in the first steps above with this information.

Adding new licenses

• RDP to your jump host (MVMSSAH01P)
• From here, RDP to LICROCKWELL
• Login with ITS Admin Account (I.E. ITS200005)
• Run Factory Talk-Activation Management
• By Clicking “Find Available Activations” you can see the current licenses installed.
• Click “Get New Activations” on the HOME tab or Under the MANAGE ACTIVATIONS tab

• Enter the Serial # and Product Key off the FactoryTalk Activation Certificate from Rockwell (Kristian Nelson's name is attached to the Rockwell account, so he receives the emails)
• Click Add to add more licenses on the same screen until done entering all your serial numbers/Product keys (5 recommended)
  • NOTE: Don't click add on the last entry as the system won't accept a blank line.
• Click Validate Activation > (bottom right) to complete the entry of this license.
• Based on the number of licenses on the Certificate
  • Enter # to Download {enter total number, same amount as Available}
  • NOTE: If you need to support legacy licenses you may need to enter less than the total (see To Support Legacy versions of Rockwell at the bottom of this article for more information)

• In the bottom right corner click “Download Activation >”
• Wait about a minute or two... Usually less :-)

• Check the # Downloaded to confirm success.
• NOTE: If the location says HOSTDISK Then this is a legacy license --- If the Location says CodeMeter this is the newest encrypted license.

• To add a new License
  • In the bottom right corner click Get More Activation (and repeat the Adding a New Licensing step until all licenses are added)

TROUBLESHOOTING: If you click Add after the last Entry the “Download Activation >” button will be deactivated.  In this case simply click Remove on the last Blank Entry to this field.  The “Download Activation >” will now be active.  You will also know there is an issue if the red circle with white exclamation marks is still on the left of the row.

TROUBLESHOOTING: 
If the newly added licenses aren't showing under "Available Activations" the new licenses may be encrypted. 

1. Click on the Advanced tab 
2. Click on "Configure CodeMeter Server"
3. Enable the check box to "Run Network Server" and click Apply
4. This should allow the licenses to be picked up by the clients.  

In the classroom it should just work, if not click the "Refresh Activations" under "Find Available Activations" on the "Manage Activations" Tab.

After a reboot I noticed that it did a refresh on it's own so this may not be necessary.

To check all Available Activation

1. Click “Find Available Activations” on the HOME tab or Under the MANAGE ACTIVATIONS tab
2. Click "Refresh Activations"
3. Sort by Expires to double check all licenses have been added.
4. Make note of the Expires date, in this list, and create a Calendar reminder to ensure we proactively add new temporary licenses so the class doesn't loose any work time.

To Delete or Rehost an Activation to clean the License Console

• On the LICRockwell server
• Open Factory Talk Activation Manager
• Make sure to Rehost key that have expired (ONLY).

• Under the Manage Activations tab
  • Click Rehost Activations
• Check the licenses you want to Rehost (Delete)
  • You can remove all expired license if you have added the new licenses or at least have a detailed record of what you need.
• Make sure they are Expired (See image below)

• In the bottom right click 
• Click Continue once you have Confirmed the Activation Removal

• It takes a bit to complete this process.

• The result should now show Success

• You can now go back to the Find Available Activations tab
• Click Refresh Activations
• Check to make sure the license has been removed.

Note: only the active license now remains.

 

To Support Legacy versions of Rockwell

Creating a temporary activation through the software subscription portal - https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1124908

Licensing model comparison (CodeMeter and Flexera) activations compatibility and differences - https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1085665